Swire has a long history of educational sponsorship in Hong Kong. We believe that cultivating young people’s minds is one of the best ways to give back to society.
Dr. Jonathan Cybulski, an historical ecologist, reflects warmly on his time as a Swire Scholar, during which he pursued his passion for marine science and biodiversity. The Swire scholarship not only covered his residency at Robert Black College, it also helped him connect with a supportive community that nurtured his academic development.
We are thrilled to have contributed to Jonathan’s and other Swire Scholars’ academic growth, as well as empowering them to thrive and succeed. Watch the video to learn more about Jonathan’s story.
If you are a current or former Swire Scholar, don’t miss our reunion event on 11th November. For more information or any enquiries, please contact swirescholarships@jsshk.com.
#Swire#SwireScholarship#SwireScholarJonathan Cybulski
My name is Jonathan Cybulski. I'm a historical ecologist and I was a Swire scholar at the University of Hong Kong from 2017 to 2021. I jointly got my pH D from the Swire Institute of Marine Science at HKU, which is swims out in Chico Swims is one of the reasons why people come to Hong Kong, you to get a PhD in biology and in marine sciences or in ecology and biodiversity. And I was very grateful, especially being overseas to have a place that Robert Black College that consistently live for my entire PhD. That really removed a lot of the burden. That came with living in Hong Kong. I was closer to lab, I could help out at lab. So really just having that immediate proximity to campus also made me feel much more connected with the campus. Robert Black functioned as a hotel for visiting professors. So it was over the course of my PhD being exposed not just to professors in in my field, but physics professors and chemistry professors and social science professors. One professor in particular, his name is Professor Daniel Pauley. These world renowned and I can remember coming down to like my first breakfast and seeing Daniel Pauley, who is a superstar and getting to interact with him. He was in my department and he knew me from being a a Swire scholar living at Robert Black. We became quite good friends and it was for me a really pivotal moment in the beginning of my PhD to interact with someone who was so senior and so renowned, but really in just a a human way. I'll never forget it and we've run into each other since then. It wasn't planned, but It's Wire has played a very critical role in almost every step of my Hong Kong time and my PhD career. We've talked about me being a Swire Scholar, being part of SWIMS, and then through some of my National Geographic Society work. Swire Trust funded one of the initiatives that I was part of. I've mostly focused on coral reefs. It's about taking that past data and then telling a story that people can use for conservation. I have a life motto. Work hard and be nice. It's not always gonna work, but at least it opens a door and opens an opportunity for people. Just be receptive and open to communication. You'll be surprised at how important that is for your career.
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2moI observed that Swire is not defending their cores vales anymore due to cost cutting directives from the top management! What a shame!